Happily Ever After
by cordano-carby
Summary: A series of stand-alone fics about what happened to characters after they left the show. Just uploaded chapter 7 (Mark) Please read and review! **THIS FIC IS NOW COMPLETE**
1. Doug and Carol

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is my first fic, so please be nice ( Feedback is always appreciated!  
  
SUMMARY: What happened to ER characters after they left the show? First chapter is about Doug and Carol, more (hopefully) to come.  
  
Doug Ross woke up to the sound of rain falling on the roof. He glanced at the clock next to his bed- 5:15 am. He had 15 minutes before he had to get up for work. Doug rolled over to find the other side of the bed empty. Pulling on his bathrobe, he slipped his feet into his slippers and walked out of the bedroom.  
  
Doug saw a light on in the kitchen at the end of the hall. As he walked past the bedrooms of his children, he heard a wail. He opened the door to the room and walked over to the crib that stood inside. Picking up his crying son, he whispered, "Sshh, Evan, go back to sleep." The baby's cries grew softer and softer, finally fading into silence. Doug laid his son back in the crib and walked to the kitchen.  
  
Sitting at the table was Carol Hathaway. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and she was eating a bowl of Cheerios and reading the newspaper. Doug smiled and walked over to his wife. He leaned down to kiss her forehead, but she met his gaze and they shared a passionate kiss.  
  
"Good morning, beautiful."  
  
"Morning, Doug."  
  
"Hell of a morning, huh? It's raining again. Remind me why we decided to move to Seattle?"  
  
"You decided to move to Seattle, Doug."  
  
"Right. What time are you on?"  
  
Carol finished her cereal and walked over to the sink to rinse out her bowl. "I'm working the six-to-six. Lucky me. Don't you have today off?"  
  
"I was supposed to, but I told Kurt I'd cover his shift. He went to Hawaii or something for the weekend."  
  
"Lucky for Kurt. So what time are you on?"  
  
"Eight."  
  
"Well, then sit down and eat some breakfast before the kids wake up!"  
  
"Too late," Doug said as their three-year-old daughter, Tess, walked into the kitchen. "Morning, sleepyhead," he said to his daughter, scooping her up in a hug.  
  
"What are you doing up this early, Tess?" Carol asked her yawning daughter.  
  
"I heard the rain," Tess replied.  
  
Doug planted a kiss on his daughter's cheek. "Do you think you can go back to sleep?" Tess shook her head. "Okay, then, let's go turn on Sesame Street."  
  
Carol laughed to herself as Doug led Tess into the next room and turned on the television. "You know, Doug, you seem more excited by that show than Tess does," she said as her husband entered the kitchen again.  
  
"Well, you learn to love Elmo after three kids and years of being a pediatrician," Doug said, smiling. Carol smiled back.  
  
"I'm going to take a quick shower and then I've got to go. Will you get the kids ready and bring them to daycare when you come?"  
  
"Of course," Doug said, walking over to the cabinet where the cereal was kept. Lucky Charms, Berry Kix, Cocoa Puffs and Cheerios. Another thing the kids had taken over. Doug reached for the Cocoa Puffs. "Still a kid at heart," he muttered to himself. He poured himself a bowl and sat down at the kitchen table, picking up the newspaper.  
  
***  
  
Doug opened the door of his Jeep and stepped out. "Damn!" he muttered as water sloshed up his left leg. Carefully, he opened the door to the backseat. Tess had already unbuckled herself, but Kate needed to be awakened, and nine-month-old Evan wasn't capable of doing much by himself. Doug lifted his kids out of the car and walked into the ER of Greater Seattle Hospital.  
  
Carol walked over to the admit desk, ready to pick up another patient, when she spotted her husband entering the ER. She walked over to Doug, gave him a quick kiss, and then picked up Kate. "Good morning, sweetie," she said. Kate yawned in response.  
  
"Tom, we're bringing the kids up to daycare, we'll be back in five minutes," Doug said to the desk clerk. Tom nodded and went back to eating his bagel.  
  
Carol jabbed at the elevator button. "Did you have any trouble getting them out of the house?"  
  
"Well, Kate didn't want to get up, Tess didn't want me to brush her hair, and Evan didn't want to eat any breakfast, but other than that, everything went wonderfully."  
  
Carol smiled. "And I see you had a run-in with a puddle," she said, referring to Doug's dripping pant leg.  
  
"Ha, ha, ha. I now have to wear scrubs all day, lucky me."  
  
"I have to wear scrubs every day," Carol said.  
  
"Fine, you win," Doug replied. The elevator doors opened, and the family stepped inside.  
  
"I want to push the button!" Tess exclaimed.  
  
"Okay, sweetie," Carol said, lifting her daughter up so she could reach. "Press the 4." Tess pressed the button, and Carol gave her a kiss before setting her down. When Doug set the carseat down, Evan began to cry. Doug rummaged around in the diaper bag for a pacifier. Before he could find one, the elevator doors opened again, and Evan kept screaming as they walked down the hall to daycare.  
  
"Good thing we're passing him off," Doug said as he pushed open the door. The woman sitting at the desk looked up as they walked in. "Good morning, Charlotte. We have three lovely children for you to watch today, and one of them is already happy to see you." Doug set the carseat down on a table, and Charlotte lifted the baby out. Carol reached into the diaper bag and finally found a pacifier. She popped it into her son's mouth, and he stopped crying.  
  
"I'll be up during my break to check on them, and we both get off at six," Carol said. Charlotte nodded. "See you later!" Carol said to her daughters.  
  
"Bye, Mommy," the girls said. Carol smiled.  
  
"Bye, girls." Doug waved as they left the room.  
  
"Ready for another day in the wonderful Greater Seattle ER?" Doug asked his wife as they waited for the elevator.  
  
"Ready as always," Carol said as the doors opened. They stepped inside, and Doug jabbed at the button.  
  
"Hey, do you remember that time when we got stuck in the elevator with that little girl during that evacuation?" Carol said.  
  
Doug looked at his wife quizzically. "Yeah, I remember. That was a long time ago."  
  
"I know," Carol replied. "I don't know what made me think of that."  
  
"You know, we should go back to Chicago this summer. We can visit your mother, stop by the hospital.it'll be fun."  
  
"Yeah, let's do that," Carol said. "We couldn't go out for Mark's funeral because Evan was too little, but we should go and visit everyone."  
  
The elevator doors opened to a hectic ER. "OK, it's a plan," Doug said, as a young nurse came up to them with trauma gowns and gloves.  
  
"Double MVA coming in, Girl Scout carpool versus motorcycle. Two critical kids coming in, ETA 3 minutes," the nurse said. Carol sighed as she put on the gown.  
  
"Some things never change," she said, turning around so that Doug could tie her gown. Doug laughed.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Carol tied her husband's gown, and they walked out to the ambulance bay together. 


	2. Anna

Author's note: This is absolutely unrelated to the first chapter of the fic- they're both stand-alones. Please read and review, any feedback is helpful!  
  
Summary: Anna gets a visit from a friend from the past.  
  
**  
  
"What do you think, John? Teddy Grahams or Fig Newtons?"  
  
Anna Del Amico looked down at the four-year-old sitting in the grocery cart drinking a juice box and couldn't help but smile. As usual, her son had somehow managed to get grape juice all over himself.  
  
"Teddy Grahams, mommy, the chocolate ones," John said.  
  
Anna reached for a box of honey Teddy Grahams. "Let's make a deal. I'll buy you the honey Teddy Grahams plus some M & M's at the register."  
  
"Okay!" John squealed, squeezing his juice box. Purple juice splattered all over the cereal boxes and cartons of milk. Anna laughed.  
  
"Hey, no squeezing the juice box, buddy," she said, pulling a tissue out of her bag. "We don't want the food to be sticky." Anna glanced down at the list of groceries. "All right, we just need some bagels, and then we can go home."  
  
"And my M & M's!" John interrupted.  
  
"Of course, we need your M & M's too," Anna said, pushing the cart down the aisle.  
  
***  
  
Anna shoved her hip against the apartment door. Getting home with five bags of groceries and a four-year-old was always an adventure. John ran inside the apartment and sat down on the couch, content with his candy. Anna brought the groceries to the kitchen and started to unpack them.  
  
"John, sweetie," she yelled across the apartment, "will you tell me if the red light on the answering machine is blinking?"  
  
John hopped off the couch, spilling most of his M & M's, and walked over to the answering machine. "It is, mommy," he shouted back.  
  
"Will you press the gray button for me?" John did so, and the answering machine began to talk.  
  
"You have two new messages." The machine beeped, and the first message began to play.  
  
"Hey Anna, it's Rebecca. Just calling to see if you wanted to come out to dinner with me and Brett tonight. Brett says he knows this guy from work who would be perfect for you. Call me!"  
  
Anna laughed to herself. Rebecca was a nurse at the hospital where Anna worked as a pediatrician, and she was constantly trying to set Anna up on blind dates. Anna had been through enough of them to know that both Rebecca and her husband Brett had a horrible sense of the type of man she was looking for. She didn't want to go, but she had nothing better to do on a Saturday night. She was about to pick up the phone to call Rebecca when the machine beeped again.  
  
"Anna? It's John, John Carter." Anna's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't heard from Carter since she had left Chicago five years ago. How did he get her number? "I got your number from the desk clerk at your hospital- Carlos, I think his name was. He seems nice, but you might want to tell him not to go giving your number out." Question answered. Anna would have to talk to Carlos tomorrow. "Anyway, I'm in town for a few days, until Tuesday actually. Some big medical conference- but I'm sure you've heard about it. So, if you're not too busy, maybe we could meet for dinner, or coffee or something? Give me a call on my cell phone. The number's 644-513-0992. Hope to talk to you soon!" The machine beeped again, signaling the end of the message.  
  
Anna took a deep breath. Why was she so nervous about the message? It had been five years since she had spoken to Carter, he couldn't still have feelings for her. And they had been such good friends when she lived in Chicago. She walked over to the answering machine and replayed the message, copying down Carter's cell phone number.  
  
Anna sat down on the couch and picked up the phone. Her fingers trembled as she dialed the number. The phone rang once.twice.before a voice picked up on the other end.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Anna was confused. Was that just a woman's voice?  
  
"Hi, sorry, I must have the wrong number. Is this John Carter's phone?"  
  
"Yes, it is. Hold on just a second and I'll get him. Who's calling?"  
  
A tingle shot straight down Anna's spine. Carter obviously didn't still have feelings for her, he had a girlfriend. A girlfriend who was comfortable answering his cell phone. 'I should be relieved,' she thought to herself. But somehow, she wasn't.  
  
"This is Anna Del Amico. I'm an old friend of John's."  
  
"Hi, Anna! I've heard so much about you. I'm Abby- John never introduces me properly." Abby suddenly stopped talking, and the phone was silent for a few seconds. Anna was about to hang up when she heard something.  
  
"Anna?"  
  
It was his voice. The voice she had thought about every day since she left Chicago with Max. The voice she thought about when things got tough. The voice she had thought about the day Max left, leaving Anna alone with their son.  
  
"Hi, John!"  
  
"Hey! It's so great to hear from you again!"  
  
"Same to you! So, you're in Philly?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, we're here for a couple days for that big medical conference. Me, Abby, Elizabeth- you remember Elizabeth Corday, don't you?"  
  
"Of course I remember Elizabeth. Say hi to her for me, okay?"  
  
"Sure. So, are you doing anything tonight? Maybe we could go out for dinner or something."  
  
"Actually, I know a great Italian takeout place; do you and Abby want to come over here?"  
  
"Sure! We just got in, we have to go to the hotel and drop off our luggage, but that would be great."  
  
Anna smiled. She gave Carter directions to the apartment and hung up the phone. Getting up off the couch, she realized that she had been sitting on several M & M's.  
  
"John, sweetie, come in here and help me clean these up."  
  
Her son poked his head out from his bedroom.  
  
"Do I have to?"  
  
Anna smiled. "It'll only take a second."  
  
***  
  
Anna glanced up at the clock. 7:27. Carter and Abby would be here any minute. She continued wiping the food and juice stains off the kitchen table. John sat in the living room, happily watching cartoons.  
  
Soon, there was a knock on the apartment door. Anna unbolted the door and opened it.  
  
"John!" she squealed, sounding like a little girl. Carter hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Anna! It's so good to see you!"  
  
"You too! Come in, come in!"  
  
Carter stepped inside the apartment, leaving a woman standing outside. She was a little shorter than Anna, and her blonde hair was pulled back in a bun. Anna extended her hand. "You must be Abby."  
  
The woman shook her hand. "Yep, that's me. Like I said, Carter never gives me a proper introduction."  
  
Carter took off Abby's coat. "You're a big girl, you can introduce yourself."  
  
'Look at him,' Anna thought to herself. 'I've never seen him happier.'  
  
"I'm Anna. Welcome to Philadelphia! I'll take those, Carter," she said, taking the two jackets from him. She walked into the living room and placed the coats on a chair.  
  
"Geez, Anna, still watching Looney Tunes?" Carter said, referring to the television.  
  
"Ha, ha, ha." Anna picked up the remote and turned off the television. She motioned to John, who was sitting on the couch with his back to Carter and Abby. "I've gotten over that stage."  
  
John stood up and walked over to his mother.  
  
"This is my son, John."  
  
A look of surprise came over Carter's face. He caught Anna's eye for a moment, then bent down to talk to John.  
  
"Hi, John! My name's John too. And that's Abby," he said, gesturing to his girlfriend, who was standing behind him. Abby waved and smiled.  
  
"Hi!" John said. "You wanna come play with my trucks? They're in my room."  
  
Carter laughed. "Maybe later, okay? I'm going to talk to your mom right now." John nodded, and Anna rumpled his hair.  
  
"Why don't you go play with your trucks now, and I'll come in in a little bit while to check on you?" John's face lit up, and he ran down the hall. Anna turned to look at Carter.  
  
"So, you're a mom. Any other surprises? Is Max here too?"  
  
Anna cringed at the tone of Carter's voice. "I'm sorry, Carter. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just didn't know how to."  
  
Carter nodded. "Well, are you married?"  
  
Anna shook her head. "No. Max is the father, since I know you're thinking that." Carter looked down. "He left when John was eight months old. We got a check every month for a while, but I haven't heard from him in almost a year."  
  
Carter looked up again. "I'm sorry, Anna."  
  
Anna shrugged. "Don't be, John. I'm not. Do I wish things turned out differently? Sure. But really, I'm happy with my life right now. I've got a good job, great friends, and a son who I love more than anything in the world."  
  
She paused. 'I'm happy with my life.' She hadn't said those words to anyone in a long time. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized it was true. Anna had spent the last three years going through life convinced that she wasn't really happy, wishing that Max would come back and they would be a family again. But seeing Carter changed all that. It wasn't that she was still in love with him. Quite the opposite, actually. Seeing Carter so happy made Anna realize that she was actually happy too.  
  
"But enough about me. How have you been?"  
  
Carter sat down on the couch. "Sit down, Anna, it could be a while. A lot has changed since I saw you last."  
  
Anna sat down in a chair across from him, and Abby sat down next to Carter. "So, is Kerry Weaver still working at County?"  
  
Abby laughed. "You knew Kerry?"  
  
"Sure did. So I guess she's still there, huh?"  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
Anna smiled. Maybe the night wouldn't be so bad after all. 


	3. Peter and Cleo

Author's note: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed the fic so far- I really appreciate it! Again, this chapter is completely unrelated to the first two. I decided to write about Peter and Cleo, even though I was never a big fan of either of them while they were on the show. Enjoy!  
  
***  
  
"Good work, Peter," the anesthesiologist said as Peter Benton pulled off his gloves and surgical cap.  
  
"Thanks, Kara. You too."  
  
Peter walked out of the OR and into the locker room. He had just completed a complicated appendectomy, and he was ready to go home. He took his scrub shirt off, and opened his locker to retrieve a sweatshirt. As he pulled the sweatshirt over his head, he couldn't help but looking at the pictures decorating his locker door.  
  
There were a few of Reese, a few of Cleo with Reese, and a few of Peter with Reese. There were a few pictures of Cleo- sitting on the back porch laughing, waterskiing in Florida, playing baseball with Reese. There was a picture of Peter and Cleo in a restaurant in Miami, and another one of the three of them together at a barbeque at Jackie's house last summer.  
  
Then there was a picture that had been taken several years before. Peter remembered the day perfectly. It was a rainy April evening, and many of his coworkers had gathered at the wedding of one of his closest friends. In the picture, Elizabeth Corday stood in the center, eight months pregnant but still beautiful in her silver wedding dress. John Carter stood on one side of her, and Peter stood on the other.  
  
Carter and Elizabeth. His two best friends at County. He hadn't seen Elizabeth since Mark's funeral, and it had been several months since he'd talked to Carter. Sure, Peter loved working at a private hospital. The pay was good, and the hours were much more reasonable. Peter had plenty of time to spend with his fiancée and son. But sometimes he couldn't help but miss County.  
  
'Snap out of it, man,' Peter said to himself. He put on his jacket and slammed the locker door shut, ready to finally go home.  
  
***  
  
Cleo Finch heard a key turn in the door. She walked into the living room, where Reese sat playing with some trucks. "Daddy's home, Reese," she signed. "Let's wash your hands for dinner."  
  
Peter opened the door and dropped his bag in the hall. Taking off his jacket, he walked into the living room. There were trucks all over the floor, but no sign of Reese or Cleo. Walking down the hall, Peter could smell dinner. 'Lasagna,' he thought to himself. 'Cleo does have a lot of free time on her days off.'  
  
Peter walked into the bathroom, where he found Reese washing his hands, supervised by Cleo. "Hey," he said to Cleo, kissing her. "Hi, Reese," he signed to his son, who smiled and dried his hands.  
  
"Hi, daddy," he signed back. "Cleo made my favorite dinner."  
  
Peter laughed. "I know, I can smell it!"  
  
"Smells delicious," he added to his girlfriend. Cleo smiled.  
  
"Let's go eat, okay Reese?" Cleo signed. Reese ran off down the hall. Peter and Cleo followed him to the kitchen.  
  
"So, how was your day?"  
  
"Oh, the usual," Peter said, sitting down at the table. Cleo gave Reese a plate piled with lasagna and green beans. "A bowel resection, a few appys- the last one gave us a bit of trouble, though. Appendix nearly burst, but we managed to get it out in time."  
  
"Sounds fun," Cleo said, sitting down at the table.  
  
"What did you two do today?" Peter asked.  
  
"Reese, why don't you tell your dad?" Cleo signed.  
  
"We played trucks, and Cleo took me to the park," Reese signed. "And she made me clean my room."  
  
Peter laughed. "It's about time, Reese!"  
  
The family ate in relative quiet for a few minutes. Just as Peter was about to get seconds, Cleo spoke.  
  
"Oh, Peter, Elizabeth called earlier."  
  
Peter was puzzled. "Elizabeth who?"  
  
"Elizabeth Corday. She mentioned something about dinner- you might want to give her a call."  
  
Peter stood up and walked to the stove. "Yeah, I will."  
  
***  
  
"Good night, Reese," Peter signed to his son. He gave him a kiss on the forehead and turned out the light. Shutting the door to the bedroom behind him, he walked out to the living room. Cleo sat on the couch doing chart reviews. She looked up when Peter entered.  
  
"I see the work never stops," Peter said, sitting down beside her.  
  
"Never. I've only got two more to do, though, and then I'll be caught up for tomorrow."  
  
Peter nodded, and looked at the clock. 8:10. He was suddenly reminded of something he had to do.  
  
"Do you think it's too late to call Elizabeth?"  
  
Cleo looked at her watch. "Ella's probably asleep by now- I'm sure it's safe."  
  
Peter nodded and picked up the phone. He dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up on the other end. The phone rang four times, and then the answering machine picked up.  
  
"You've reached Elizabeth Corday. I'm not available at the moment, but leave a message and I'll call you back."  
  
The machine beeped.  
  
"Hi Elizabeth, it's Peter Benton. Cleo mentioned that you called earlier. I'll be in all night, so--" Peter was suddenly cut off.  
  
"Peter? Are you there?" Elizabeth said, sounding out of breath.  
  
"Yeah, hi Elizabeth."  
  
"Hi! I just got in from work, sorry I didn't pick up right away."  
  
"It's fine, don't worry about it. So, how are you?"  
  
"Fine, thanks for asking. You?" Peter looked over at Cleo, who was working on the chart of an anemic six- year-old. "I'm doing great."  
  
"Good, good. So, I called earlier to see if you wanted to get together sometime. I got your wedding invitation yesterday, and I realized it's been far too long since I saw you last. Congratulations, by the way."  
  
Peter smiled. "Thanks. And I'd love to get together sometime soon."  
  
"Great! Do you and Cleo want to come over for pizza next Saturday? You can bring Reese along, then I won't have to find a sitter for Ella. I was thinking about inviting Carter and Abby too."  
  
"Sounds fantastic."  
  
After finalizing the plans with Elizabeth, Peter hung up the phone. "We're going to go over to Elizabeth's for pizza next Saturday, if that's okay with you. Carter and Abby will be there too," he said to Cleo.  
  
Cleo put the chart down on the table. "Sounds like fun! It's been a while since we saw all those County people."  
  
Peter nodded. "Yeah, it has been."  
  
"So, I guess Carter and Abby are still together?"  
  
"Seems like it. I'm happy for them."  
  
"Took them long enough, though," Cleo said. Peter laughed and wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"I love you, Cleo. I don't tell you that enough."  
  
Cleo looked up at Peter. He leaned in and kissed her.  
  
"I should finish that chart," Cleo said, finally pulling away.  
  
"Don't," Peter whispered. "Just stay here. This is good."  
  
Cleo leaned back, slipping her hand into his. "You're right, Peter. This is good." Peter kissed the top of her head.  
  
A door creaked, and Peter and Cleo looked up. Reese emerged from his bedroom and walked down the hall towards them.  
  
"What's wrong, Reese?" Peter signed to his son. "You shouldn't be out of bed."  
  
"I couldn't sleep," he signed back.  
  
Peter sighed. He knew he should be strict and send Reese back to bed, but he couldn't do it.  
  
"Climb up," he signed. Reese crossed the room and sat down in his father's lap. Cleo gave him a kiss.  
  
"Close your eyes, Reese," she signed. Reese obeyed. Cleo rested her head against Peter's shoulder. The room was silent for a few seconds.  
  
"Well, I was wrong," Peter said. Cleo looked at him, confused.  
  
"About what?"  
  
"I thought it was good before, when it was just you and me," he said. "That was good, but this is even better."  
  
Cleo smiled, looking at Reese, who was already half-asleep. She looked back up at Peter.  
  
"This is the best." 


	4. Jeanie

Author's Note: I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed the first chapters of the fic- I really, really appreciate the feedback. Again, this chapter is not related to any of the first three. They are all stand- alones. Oh, this one's about Jeanie. Please review the chapter after you've read it- constructive criticism is always helpful! Enjoy!  
  
***  
  
"Beep-beep-beep-beep-" screamed the alarm clock next to Jeanie Boulet's bed. She rolled over and slammed the snooze button. 6:15. Far too early to get up. Nevertheless, she rolled over and shook her husband's shoulder.  
  
"Reggie, it's 6:15. Time to get up."  
  
"Five more minutes," was Reggie's muffled reply. Too tired to argue, Jeanie swung her legs over the side of the bed and walked into the bathroom.  
  
Looking in the mirror, she saw that her hair was disheveled and pressed flat against one side of her head. "Man, do I look like crap," she thought. She splashed her face with ice cold water and looked back in the mirror. Playing with her hair to try to restore it to its normal curly state, she walked over to the shower and turned it on.  
  
Reggie entered the bathroom five minutes later. Jeanie was washing her hair, trying desperately to work the snags out. She was not succeeding. Giving up, she reached for the conditioner, hoping that it would bring more success. The sounds of the radio traveled across the bathroom, followed closely by Reggie's off-key baritone voice. Jeanie poked her soapy head out of the shower.  
  
"Is it really necessary to sing along at this hour of the morning?"  
  
Reggie smiled. "Nothing to wake you up like a good sing-a-long."  
  
"I wasn't aware that this was a good sing-a-long," Jeanie teased. Reggie playfully threw a washcloth at her, which she caught.  
  
"All right, I'll sing quietly," Reggie conceded. "You're starting to drip shampoo."  
  
Jeanie looked down at the small puddle of bubbles on the bathroom floor. "Oops," she said, pulling her head back into the shower.  
  
***  
  
Jeanie knocked on her son's door. "Carlos?" There was no answer. She quietly turned the doorknob and entered the bedroom. Tonka trucks were everywhere, but her son wasn't playing with them. She looked at the telltale lump on the bed, and pulled off the covers. "Rise and shine, sweetie."  
  
Carlos opened his eyes. "Is it time to get up already?"  
  
Jeanie smiled. "Sure is. Now let's get you dressed, Daddy's downstairs making your breakfast." Carlos sat up in his bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Jeanie walked over to the dresser and opened a few drawers. Placing a shirt and a pair of jeans on the bed, she turned to Carlos, who was still sitting on the bed.  
  
"Okay, arms up, Carlos," she said, pulling the pajama shirt off and putting the T-shirt on. Knowing what was coming next, Carlos climbed off the bed. As her son held onto her head, Jeanie pulled the jeans over his legs and buttoned them. "All set," she said, and Carlos ran downstairs. Jeanie laughed and followed him at a slower pace.  
  
Reggie stood at the counter, buttering a waffle. After soaking it in syrup and cutting it up, he placed it in front of Carlos. "Good morning, buddy," he said, pouring his son a glass of orange juice. Jeanie opened a cabinet and retrieved several bottles of pills. She handed Carlos the appropriate pills before chasing down her own medicine with a glass of water.  
  
"Do you want some oatmeal, Reggie?" she asked, taking some bowls out of a cabinet.  
  
"Sounds great," Reggie said. "I have to eat quickly though, my shift starts in an hour."  
  
Jeanie nodded. "Okay, I'm on at 9, so I'll bring Carlos to school before I head in to work." Sticking a bowl of instant oatmeal in the microwave, she couldn't help but look outside at the beautiful spring day.  
  
"Spring in New England is gorgeous, isn't it?"  
  
"Sure is," Reggie said.  
  
Jeanie smiled. She had commented on the New England weather almost every day since they had moved here two years ago. 'Maybe it's because it changes every ten minutes,' she chuckled to herself.  
  
The beeping of the microwave disturbed Jeanie's train of thought. She took the bowl of oatmeal out and slid it along the counter to where Reggie stood. He took a spoon out of the drawer and began to stir it. They made a perfect team. Jeanie put the second bowl of oatmeal in the microwave and set the timer.  
  
Reggie gobbled down his bowl of oatmeal in two minutes flat. Already dressed in his uniform, he walked across the kitchen and kissed Jeanie. "I gotta go, babe." Jeanie nodded.  
  
"What time will you be home?"  
  
"My shift is over at 3, so I'll be home before 4."  
  
"Can you pick up Carlos from school? I'm not off 'til 6."  
  
"Of course."  
  
Reggie walked toward the front door, picking up his coat, which was draped over the back of a chair. He rumpled Carlos's hair and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I'll see you later, okay, Carlos? I'll pick you up from school this afternoon."  
  
Carlos nodded enthusiastically, his face and hands sticky from syrup. "Bye, Daddy!"  
  
"Bye, Carlos," Reggie said, smiling. He waved to Jeanie, who was standing in the corner, stirring her bowl of oatmeal. "Bye." He then walked out the front door to his car.  
  
Seeing that Carlos was done with his breakfast, Jeanie set her oatmeal down on the counter. "Wait a second, Carlos," she said as her son stood up. "Let's clean you up before you touch anything." Carlos held out his hands obediently while Jeanie wiped them off with a damp paper towel. "All done," she said. "Go brush your teeth, we have to leave in 15 minutes." Carlos nodded and ran up the stairs, letting Jeanie finish her oatmeal in peace.  
  
***  
  
"Good morning, Kathy," Jeanie said, walking into the medical center where she worked. When she moved to the Boston area with her family two years ago, Jeanie had decided to go into private practice. She wanted to have plenty of time at home with Reggie and Carlos, but she missed working. So she had taken a part-time job at a nearby pediatric clinic.  
  
"Good morning, Jeanie. Dr. Feldman needs you in 2 when you get a chance. Bad allergic reaction."  
  
Jeanie nodded, punching in her time card. "Okay, Kathy, tell Dr. Feldman I'll be there in five minutes." Kathy, the desk clerk, nodded and picked up the phone.  
  
Jeanie walked into the staff lounge, hanging up her coat and putting her bag in her locker. She took out her stethoscope and lab coat and walked into the hallway, ready to begin another day of work.  
  
***  
  
"I'm home!"  
  
It was 6:30, and Jeanie walked into the kitchen, hoping to see Reggie cooking some fantastic dinner. Unfortunately, no one was in the kitchen, and the money lying on the counter suggested that pizza would be delivered to the Moore house that night. Jeanie took off her coat and shoes and went upstairs, looking for her husband and son. She found them playing trucks together on the floor of Carlos's bedroom.  
  
Jeanie entered the room. "Hey," she said, kneeling down. "How was your day, Carlos?"  
  
"It was good, Mommy," he said, pushing a fire truck across the floor. "I made a picture for you."  
  
Jeanie crossed the bedroom to find a drawing on Carlos's bed. It was a picture of him playing baseball with Reggie.  
  
"That's a great picture, Carlos."  
  
Carlos beamed, and consequently crashed his fire truck into the crane his father was "driving." Reggie laughed. "Well, now we need a police car!"  
  
Jeanie sat down on the floor and reached for the toy police car lying in a pile off to the side. Making siren noises, she drove the car across the floor to the scene of the accident.  
  
"Daddy's supposed to drive the police car, Mommy!"  
  
Jeanie and Reggie laughed. "He's right, babe," Reggie said, taking the police car from his wife. "I can make much better siren noises." Jeanie smiled.  
  
"Okay, fine." She placed her hand on the crane that Reggie had been using. "What do we do with this, Carlos?"  
  
As Carlos launched into a long lecture about how cranes roll over when hit, Jeanie leaned back and smiled. Five or six years ago, if someone had told her that she would be this happy now, she never would have believed them. But as she watched her four-year-old lecturing her police officer husband about what police cars did at the scene of a car accident, she knew that she couldn't be happier.  
  
"Mommy? Mommy?"  
  
Jeanie directed her attention towards Carlos. "What is it?"  
  
"The police car is going to pick the crane up now."  
  
Jeanie smiled as she followed Carlos's directions. He looked up at her and smiled back.  
  
"I love you, Carlos."  
  
"I love you too, Mommy."  
  
Those were the words she lived to hear. 


	5. Dave

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first four chapters of the fic- I really, really appreciate it. This chapter (about Dave) is a bit more angsty than some of the others. I love Dave dearly, but I guess since we never saw any true Dave angst on the show, I felt the need to write some. Hopefully it's not too depressing. It's also a bit longer than the other chapters, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway! Again, it is completely unrelated to the first few chapters of the fic :) Please read and review!  
  
Also, any knowledge I have about paramedics and emergency medicine comes from "Third Watch" and "ER". I try, but please forgive me if some of it's inaccurate :)  
  
Special note: This chapter is dedicated to the girls from the AOL ER boards who have taught me to love Dave. Hope you guys like it!  
  
***  
  
"Dave? Dave? Wake up!"  
  
Dave Malucci's eyes groggily opened. It was still dark outside. "What time is it?"  
  
"5:10."  
  
Dave sat up in bed and turned to face the voice. "5:10? Why are you getting me up at 5:10?"  
  
"Because we just got a call. Home fire, victims possibly trapped inside. Dispatch sent one rig out a few minutes ago, but the firefighters on scene say that they'll need another."  
  
Dave's eyes suddenly opened. "OK, give me two minutes, Mel," he said, slipping his feet into his shoes and pulling his paramedic uniform over the T-shirt he was wearing. He walked off towards the bathroom.  
  
"I'll get you a cup of coffee, Dave," Melanie said. Dave turned and gave her a goofy thumbs-up. Melanie smiled, and walked down the firehouse stairs.  
  
Dave walked into the bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush off a shelf. Squeezing some toothpaste onto it, he began to vigorously brush his teeth.  
  
Five minutes later, Dave was sitting in the front seat of the ambulance, which was barreling down the streets of Chicago, sirens blaring and all. Melanie Daniels, his partner and best friend, was driving the ambulance. Dave took a sip of his coffee, then turned to talk to Melanie.  
  
"So, a home fire, huh?"  
  
As a car sped across the road, cutting Melanie off, she gripped the steering wheel tighter and executed a perfect turn. Exhaling heavily, she took her eyes off the road for a second to look at Dave. "Yeah, that's what they said over the radio."  
  
Dave nodded, and looked ahead at the nearly-deserted road. They were approaching the scene of the fire. Dave could see the clouds of smoke billowing up into the sky.  
  
Melanie turned one last corner and pulled up behind another ambulance. She pulled the key out of the ignition and opened the door. Dave unbuckled his seatbelt and hopped out of the rig. He met Melanie at the back, and they pulled several bags of supplies out of the ambulance. Slamming the doors shut, Melanie followed Dave around the side of the ambulance to where another paramedic was standing, along with a police officer. Dave and Melanie put down their bags and stood with them, watching the firefighters battle the blaze that was consuming the house.  
  
After several minutes, Dave broke the silence. "Have they brought any victims out yet?"  
  
Randy, the other paramedic, shook his head. "Three firefighters and three medics are up there trying to get them out. A neighbor told us that four kids and their two parents live here, and that they were here last night."  
  
Dave nodded slowly, and glanced over at Melanie. She was staring at the fire, mesmerized by the orange flames that licked the sides of the house. Dave slid his arm around her shoulder and they watched the flames consume the house.  
  
***  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, a voice came over the radio at Dave's waist. "We have located three of the victims, I repeat, we have located three of the victims. Two girls, ages 6 and 4, and their mother, age 36, found in a bedroom upstairs. We're bringing them out now."  
  
Dave grabbed the radio. "We copy that. We will be ready for the victims." With that, the paramedics went into action. Dave, Melanie, and Randy grabbed their bags and moved closer to the house. Within minutes, another paramedic and a firefighter emerged from the burning building, carrying a young girl on a backboard. Melanie walked over to them and took one end of the backboard, enabling the firefighter to run back into the house.  
  
"Heather Lombardo, age six, suffering from third-degree burns on her arms and face and smoke inhalation. Blood pressure is." Dave's attention was suddenly diverted when Randy called his name.  
  
"Hey, Dave! Over here! We've got a four-year-old girl right here, name's Kyla. She doesn't seem to be hurt as badly as the other one, but you might want to get an oxygen mask on her." Dave nodded, and they placed the backboard on a gurney outside the ambulance. Melanie was loading Heather into the other rig.  
  
"You got this?" Randy asked. Dave nodded, and Randy ran back towards the house as two firefighters brought the mother out of the front door. Dave pulled an oxygen mask out of a bag and hooked it up.  
  
Placing the mask gingerly over the young girl's face, he bent down to talk to her. "Hi, Kyla, I'm Dave. I'm a paramedic. We're going to bring you to a hospital now, okay?" The girl nodded. She looked terrified. Dave smiled at her and rubbed her hand gently. "Don't worry, Kyla, I'll take good care of you."  
  
Dave looked up and surveyed the scene. It looked like all the other paramedics were busy, and would be for a while. Melanie and Brian, a paramedic who had been inside the house, had just left with Heather. Randy was occupied with the mother, who looked to be in pretty bad condition. Dave weighed his options quickly.  
  
"Lisa! Can you come here?"  
  
Lisa, a police officer, turned and jogged over to him. "What's up, Dave?"  
  
"I need you to drive the ambulance. Melanie just left, and we need to get Kyla to a hospital fast." Lisa nodded. She helped Dave lift the gurney into the back of the ambulance, and then took the keys from him and got into the driver's seat. Dave shut the doors of the ambulance and Lisa turned the sirens on, pulling out into the street.  
  
"What hospital are we going to, Dave?" Lisa shouted from the front seat.  
  
"Uhh, Mercy's closest," he said, dressing some of the burns on Kyla's arms. Her pajamas were burnt, and she winced every time Dave touched her. "Kyla, I'm going to start an IV in your arm. It's going to give you medicine to make you feel better, okay?" he said quietly to the young girl. Kyla nodded weakly.  
  
"Mercy can't take any more pediatric traumas."  
  
Dave looked up. "Where can we go then?"  
  
Lisa looked at him in the rear view mirror. "County can take us, and it's only fifteen minutes away."  
  
Dave sighed heavily. He had spent the last year avoiding County General Hospital at all costs. In fact, when he first became a paramedic, he asked specifically to be assigned to an area where he would not have to go to County at all. But just two weeks earlier, he and Melanie had been transferred to a new precinct. Dave was tempted to tell Lisa not to go to County, but as he looked down at Kyla, visibly in pain, he knew what he had to do.  
  
"Okay, let's go there. I'll call it in."  
  
***  
  
Fifteen minutes later, the rig pulled up to the ambulance bay at County General. Dave took the IV bag off of the hook it was hanging on and placed it on the gurney. "We're at the hospital now, Kyla," he said to the little girl, who was beginning to drowse off. "The doctors are going to help you now." As Lisa opened the doors of the ambulance, Dave took a deep breath.  
  
Outside, Jing-Mei Chen and Abby Lockhart were waiting for the patient to be unloaded. As the police officer opened the back doors, Jing-Mei gasped. Dave Malucci was standing over the gurney, dressed in a paramedic uniform.  
  
Dave looked up to see Chen and Abby staring at him in amazement. "They're probably thinking about how hot I look in my uniform," he chuckled to himself. With Abby's help, he rolled the gurney out of the back of the ambulance and into the emergency room.  
  
"Kyla Lombardo, age four, victim of a home fire. Second- and third-degree burns on her arms, legs, chest and face. Suffering from smoke inhalation. Resps are good on 50% oxygen by mask. Pressure's 120 over 90, pulse 100." By this point, they were in trauma one, a room Dave knew well. Memories flooded his mind, but he was brought back to reality by Chen's voice.  
  
"On my count, 1, 2, 3." Kyla was lifted off of the gurney, and Chen began to assess her.  
  
Dave stepped back from the bed, almost tripping over the gurney. He cleared his throat. "You got this, Jing-Mei?"  
  
Jing-Mei looked up and nodded. "Sure, Dave."  
  
Dave waved good-bye to Kyla. "I'll come back to check on you later, okay?" he said. Kyla was almost asleep, but she managed to nod in reply. Dave smiled, and wheeled the gurney out of the trauma room.  
  
As Dave walked quickly down the hall, Lisa, who was pushing the other end of the gurney, began to question him. "How did everyone know your name?"  
  
Dave was silent until they reached the ambulance again. "We should go back to the scene, see if they need any more help." Lisa nodded as she got into the passenger seat, but she was persistent.  
  
"How do you know them, Dave?"  
  
Dave sighed, pulling out of the ambulance bay. "I used to work in that ER, okay?"  
  
"I didn't know that, Dave. What were you? A nurse?"  
  
Dave shook his head. "No, I was a doctor. I got fired about a year and a half ago."  
  
Lisa was shocked. "Oh."  
  
Dave shrugged. "Oh well. I hated my boss, and she hated me. In a way, I was glad to get out of there. Besides, I like being a paramedic better anyway. I always loved the traumas."  
  
Lisa turned away, not quite sure what to say. The two sat in silence for a few minutes.  
  
"You should radio Melanie, see what she's up to," Lisa finally said. Dave nodded and reached for the radio at his waist.  
  
***  
  
It was 7:00, and Dave's double-shift was finally over. He and Melanie had just finished cleaning the ambulance, and they walked back into the firehouse to get changed to go home.  
  
As they climbed the stairs, Melanie couldn't help but notice that Dave seemed a little out of it. In fact, he had seemed out of it all day. "What's wrong, Dave? Rough day?"  
  
Dave laughed weakly. "You could say that." He walked over to his locker and pulled out some clothes. Melanie stood in the middle of the room and looked at him, expecting more. When Dave didn't offer it, she shrugged and walked towards her locker.  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
Dave slammed his locker door shut and unbuttoned his uniform shirt. Pulling another shirt over his head, he exhaled heavily. He was never one to talk about his problems. Usually he kept his feelings to himself. But somehow, he felt that he could open up to Melanie. That she wouldn't judge him, or pity him, or laugh in his face. Melanie was the best friend he had ever had.  
  
"No, Melanie. Not right now. Thanks, though." Dave sighed. Habit always seemed to win out.  
  
Melanie unclipped her hair and took a brush off of the shelf in her locker. "You sure?" Dave nodded. Melanie sighed. "Okay. Call me if you need to talk." She put the brush away, took her coat out of her locker, and shut it, walking out of the firehouse.  
  
***  
  
Forty minutes later, Dave unlocked the door to his apartment. It was silent, as it typically was. He never spent much time at home. He turned on the lights and sunk down on the couch. Reaching for the remote, his hand suddenly traveled to the letter that had lain, unopened, on the coffee table for several days. Dave picked up the letter and opened it. Several pictures fell out when he removed the note from the envelope. Dave unfolded the note and read it.  
  
Dave-  
  
I thought you should have these pictures. My mom took them of Kathleen at her birthday party a few weeks ago. She's getting big, isn't she? They grow up so fast.  
  
I'll see you next month. Kath can't wait to see you!  
  
Elizabeth  
  
Dave picked up the pictures that had landed in his lap. There were four or five, all of them featuring the same bright-eyed little girl. Kathleen. His daughter. He smiled as he looked at each of them. Kathleen was four now, and she looked more and more like her mother every day. Except for her eyes. She had always had her father's eyes.  
  
Dave paused when he came to the last picture. It was a picture of Kathleen blowing out the candles on her birthday cake. She was wearing an adorable purple dress, and her hair was tied back in a matching ribbon. Standing behind Kathleen, smiling, was Elizabeth.  
  
Elizabeth Harvey was someone that Dave never thought he would end up with. An old friend from college, Dave had had a huge crush on her for most of his freshman year. However, Elizabeth always seemed to have a boyfriend, and when she didn't, Dave could never work up the courage to ask her out.  
  
After they graduated, Elizabeth and Dave lost touch for a while. Then one night, almost five years ago, Dave had come home from work to find Elizabeth sitting outside his apartment door. One thing led to another, and six weeks later, Elizabeth told him that she was pregnant.  
  
Dave had been sure that he would finally be happy. Elizabeth was the girl of his dreams, and now they were going to have a baby together. But as the days wore on, their happiness dwindled and died. Just two months before Kathleen was born, Dave and Elizabeth split.  
  
Elizabeth had called Dave the day after Kathleen was born. Dave went to visit them in the hospital. Elizabeth then dropped a bombshell on him- she was going to live with her parents in Virginia, and she was bringing Kathleen with her. Dave tried to stop her, but there was no changing Elizabeth's mind. Three weeks later, they left.  
  
Since then, Dave had seen Kathleen every few months or so. He and Elizabeth had become friends again, but neither of them had ever been willing to move to give their family another chance.  
  
Dave looked back at the picture. He missed Kathleen, and Elizabeth, more than words could express. Placing the pictures on the table, he leaned back against the couch. He couldn't stop the tears that were forming in his eyes from trickling down his cheeks.  
  
That was why the day had been so difficult for him. Kyla, the little girl from the fire, was the same age as his own daughter. Kyla came out of the fire okay, but her twin brother, as well as her father, mother, and older brother, hadn't been so lucky. Dave spent every day saving people's lives, but it had never hit him like this before. Everything could be snatched away in an instant. It could be his own daughter, his Kathleen, who needed saving next.  
  
Dave took a deep breath and wiped the tears from his eyes. He reached for the phone and dialed a number he had memorized long ago. The phone rang once. twice. three times before a voice picked up on the other end.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi, Melanie. I'm ready to talk."  
  
On the other end, Melanie exhaled happily. "I'm glad you called, Dave. I was worried about you."  
  
Dave smiled slightly. Melanie was the only girl who ever seemed genuinely worried about him- except Elizabeth, of course. Maybe Melanie could make him happy. Elizabeth tried, but she couldn't. Melanie knew him better.  
  
Melanie was the only one Dave had ever reached out to for help and comfort.  
  
"Dave? You there?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm here."  
  
"Go ahead. I'm listening."  
  
Dave smiled. Melanie really would listen. He took a deep breath and began to tell her everything. 


	6. Lucy

Author's Note: This chapter is a little bit shorter and a little bit different from the other ones. Since I've written about all of the main characters who left the show alive, I thought that it was only fair to write chapters for the main characters who died. So chapter 6 is for Lucy.  
  
Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far, I really appreciate it. And, as usual, I would appreciate any feedback for this chapter- constructive criticism is welcome! Enjoy!  
  
***  
  
"Come on, Abby, we gotta go!"  
  
Abby Lockhart walked out of the bathroom. Though she wasn't dressed up much, she felt great. It was Valentine's Day- the first Valentine's Day she would be spending with her boyfriend and best friend, John Carter.  
  
John was standing in Abby's living room, looking impatiently at his watch. It was 5:30 already. His coat was already on, the keys to his Jeep hanging out of his pocket. He looked up when he heard the clicking of heels from the hallway.  
  
Abby entered the room, and John smiled. She looked amazing, as always. She smiled back at him, and kissed him lightly on the lips. John took her hand, and Abby grabbed her coat from the back of the chair. John then led her out of the apartment, locking the door behind him.  
  
"So, are you going to tell me where we're going yet?" Abby asked as they walked down the stairs and out to the street. John opened the car door for her and grinned mischievously.  
  
Abby let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh, come on, Carter, just tell me!"  
  
John put the key in the ignition and turned the car on. Backing out of his parking spot, he decided to tell Abby what the big surprise was.  
  
"Well, I'm going to take you to a little Italian place that just opened up over on the north side. One of my friends told me about it, and he said it was casual and very romantic."  
  
Abby smiled. Finally, she would have a quiet, romantic Valentine's Day with her boyfriend. She thought back to the Valentine's Day two years ago, when she was with Luka. He had decided that it would be fun to work the night- shift, so Abby had spent the night at her apartment watching sappy romantic movies. And the year before that.well, Abby didn't want to think about it. Not tonight. She turned to John.  
  
"Sounds great."  
  
John smiled. He had known that Abby would love the idea.  
  
"We just have to make a stop on the way, okay?"  
  
Abby gave him a questioning glance. "Okay. Where are we going?"  
  
"To visit Lucy."  
  
***  
  
By the time they arrived at the cemetery, the sky was pitch black. The only light came from the streetlight at the corner. John got out of the Jeep and took out a bouquet of flowers from the back seat. Looking over at Abby, he chuckled. "Don't worry, there's another bouquet waiting for you." Abby smiled, and they walked to the cemetery gates together.  
  
"Carter, don't cemeteries usually close earlier than this?"  
  
John nodded. "Yeah, but they keep them open late on Valentine's Day." He took a flashlight out of his pocket and shone it ahead of them on the path. He seemed to know exactly where he was going.  
  
After walking for a few minutes, John turned and walked down a row of graves. He stopped at one about halfway down the row, and set the flashlight down.  
  
John squatted down and rubbed his fingers across the writing he knew so well. "In Loving Memory of Lucy Knight, 1975-2000." He placed the bouquet of flowers at the base of the headstone. They were white carnations. He knew that they had been Lucy's favorite.  
  
"I'm sorry, Lucy," he whispered. Tears began to well up in his eyes. "I'm so sorry. It's been three years since that night. Three long, hard years. Three years that I've had to live with the guilt of letting you die."  
  
He paused, and took a deep breath. He couldn't hold back the tears any longer. One by one, they fell from the corners of his eyes, dropping on the ground in front of him.  
  
"You shouldn't have died, Lucy. I should have protected you from him. I should have paid more attention to you, seen the schizophrenia sooner. And I'm sorry that I didn't. Maybe if I had, you'd still be alive now." John paused slightly, and wiped his eyes.  
  
"I miss you, Luce." He sat down on his heels and sobbed, unable to say any more.  
  
Abby crouched down next to John and hugged him tightly. "It's not your fault, John. You couldn't have done anything differently. We all miss her terribly, but nobody blames you for it." John sniffled, and Abby realized that he was trying to hide his tears.  
  
"It's okay, John. Just cry. You'll feel better afterwards." For several minutes they sat like that, John sobbing into Abby's shoulder. Finally, Abby couldn't take it any more, and tears began to trickle down her cheeks as well. For a while they just sat there, rocking slowly back and forth, crying until they could cry no more.  
  
Finally, John pulled away. His eyes were red, but dry. He took a deep breath. "I still miss her, you know."  
  
Wiping her eyes, Abby smiled weakly. "I know you do." She stood up and extended her hand. John gratefully took it, and Abby pulled him up. Grasping Abby's hand tightly in one of his, Carter lifted two of his fingers to his mouth. Kissing them, he gently placed them on the gravestone.  
  
"I'll always remember you, Lucy."  
  
John bent down and picked up the flashlight. "You ready to go?" Abby nodded, and they began to walk back to the car.  
  
Right before they reached the path that would lead them out of the cemetery, John looked back over his shoulder. The carnations still lay at the base of the gravestone. Looking up at the sky, John managed to smile. He knew that Lucy was up there, watching over him. He squeezed Abby's hand, and they walked to the Jeep together. 


	7. Mark

Author's Note: Well, here it is, the seventh and final chapter of my fic. Much thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed the earlier chapters- I really appreciate all the feedback you guys gave me, it's what keeps me writing. Special thanks to Melissa, Kate and Justine for helping me get started, giving me the idea for the title, and giving me tons of feedback. You guys are awesome!  
  
Anyway, like I said, this is the last stand-alone in the series. It's about Mark, and it's basically a Susan/Elizabeth friendship fic. I was very tempted to make it a Cordano chapter, but I decided that a morbid discussion of Elizabeth's late husband was not what that relationship needed :) Anyway, please read and review, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!  
  
***  
  
"I'll close, Elizabeth."  
  
Elizabeth Corday gratefully withdrew her hands from the surgical field. After three long hours, she and her surgical team had finally completed a complicated spleenectomy on a six-year-old MVA victim. It was almost six o'clock, and Elizabeth wanted to get home to see her daughter and go to sleep.  
  
"Thank you, Edson," she said, pulling the bloody gloves off of her hands and exiting the operating room.  
  
After she had washed her hands and changed out of her surgical scrubs, Elizabeth said goodbye to Shirley and got on the elevator. The doors opened, as they did every night, to a busy ER. Elizabeth fought her way through the hallway, praying that she wouldn't be approached for a surgical consult.  
  
She had made it as far as the admit desk when she heard her name. She turned around to see Susan Lewis standing at the admit desk. Judging by the clothes she was wearing, Elizabeth decided that Susan must be on her way out as well. She walked back to the desk and greeted her friend.  
  
"Hi, Susan. Hectic day?"  
  
Susan laughed. "You could say that!" Elizabeth smiled. Since she had been on call in the ER that day, she knew how crazy it had been.  
  
"Anyway, I just wanted to see if you were okay."  
  
As they began to walk out of the emergency room, Elizabeth said, "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"  
  
"Well, it's the one-year anniversary of Mark's death."  
  
Elizabeth drew a sharp breath in. She should have known that Susan would remember this. After all, she had been Mark's best friend.  
  
"You know, it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I guess working just kept my mind off of it, in a way."  
  
Susan nodded. "I know what you mean. I've been dreading this day for weeks. I mean, the constant pain of him being gone left months ago, but I still miss him. A lot. And I thought today would be unbearable."  
  
Elizabeth sighed, breathing in the warm May air. Winter in Chicago was finally over, and spring was here to stay. "I'm kind of dreading going home, actually. It's always worse there."  
  
Susan suddenly stopped walking. Elizabeth turned to face her.  
  
"Are you going to be okay, Elizabeth? Do you want to go out for a little while? Going home alone probably isn't the best thing to do right now."  
  
"I know, I know. But I should get home to Ella. Chris will want to go home, it's been a long day."  
  
Susan nodded. "Well, do you want some company?"  
  
Elizabeth smiled appreciatively. "Company would be great."  
  
***  
  
Elizabeth opened the door to her house. She could see Chris, her nanny, getting up from the couch, where she was watching Ella play with some toys.  
  
"Hi, Elizabeth," Chris said, looking pointedly at Susan, who had stepped into the hall and closed the door behind her.  
  
"Hi, Chris. This is my friend Susan Lewis, she's a doctor in the ER. Susan, this is Chris Phillips, Ella's nanny."  
  
Susan smiled and extended her hand. "Hi, Chris, it's nice to meet you."  
  
Chris shook Susan's hand. "Same here." She then turned to face Elizabeth. "Well, Ella hasn't eaten or taken a bath yet. She did nap for 2 1/2 hours this afternoon, though."  
  
"OK, that's wonderful, thanks so much, Chris."  
  
Chris smiled and picked her coat up off of a chair in the living room. "I'll see you at 6:30 tomorrow morning, right?"  
  
Elizabeth nodded. "Have a good night, Chris."  
  
"You too. It was nice to meet you, Susan." Susan smiled as Chris let herself out of the house.  
  
Elizabeth crossed the room and sat down across from her daughter. Ella was busy playing with a stuffed cow and bear. "Hello, darling," she said, kissing her daughter on the cheek.  
  
"Hi, mommy!"  
  
"Did you have a good day?"  
  
Ella nodded emphatically. Elizabeth laughed. "Good, sweetheart. I'm glad." She looked up to find that Susan was standing next to the couch. "Ella, this is Susan. She was one of your daddy's friends." Susan crouched down next to Ella and smiled.  
  
"Hi Ella!" she said. Ella smiled and waved back.  
  
"Ella, are you hungry?" Elizabeth asked her daughter. Ella nodded. "Okay, then, let's go make some dinner." Elizabeth picked up Ella, and gestured that Susan should follow them into the kitchen.  
  
***  
  
Elizabeth quietly walked down the stairs and into the living room. It was 7:30, and Ella had been fed, bathed, and put to bed. Susan had helped happily with the feeding and bathing, but she had gone downstairs to let Elizabeth have some time alone with her daughter before bed. Now she was sitting on the couch, looking at an old photo album that had been left on the coffee table.  
  
Elizabeth quietly sat down on the couch next to Susan, and Susan moved the album so that it sat between them. The album contained many of the best pictures taken of Mark and Elizabeth over the years- alone, with friends, and with each other.  
  
The album was opened to a group of pictures that were taken about three years before. One of them featured Elizabeth sitting at a table wearing a long black dress, with her head flung back in laughter. Elizabeth chuckled at the sight of the picture. That picture had been taken at one of the fancy dinners that Elizabeth had been coerced into going to by her boss, Robert Romano. She couldn't remember what she was laughing about, but she did remember that she had spent the next four hours with the hiccups from laughing so hard.  
  
The next picture was of Elizabeth and Carol Hathaway at Carol's house. Elizabeth remembered that night perfectly. Carol had called her, exhausted, needing help with the twins. Elizabeth had come over and watched Kate while Carol took a wailing Tess outside to calm her down. After the girls had finally fallen asleep, Carol and Elizabeth had spent the night with a quart of coffee ice cream, talking. Right before Elizabeth had left, they spontaneously decided to take a picture, which ended up being one of the best pictures ever taken of the two of them together. Elizabeth smiled and turned the page of the album.  
  
Staring back up at her was the face of her late husband. This picture had been taken on their engagement night. Although nobody else was home, Mark had insisted on setting up the tripod to take an engagement picture. As Elizabeth recalled, most of those pictures hadn't come out so well, but this particular one had come out wonderfully. Mark was leaning against the rail of the deck, smiling, with his arm wrapped around Elizabeth. They looked so happy then. So perfect.  
  
But that was just the beginning. Their relationship had certainly had its share of hardships. Mark's brain tumor. Rachel coming to live with them. Ella's ecstasy overdose. Their separation. The recurrence of Mark's tumor. Yes, they had certainly had more than their fair share of difficulty. But there was something about Mark that kept Elizabeth coming back. Kept her in love with him. She had never been able to explain what it was, but there was something about Mark that she had never felt in any other relationship she had ever had.  
  
A tear splashed on the album page, right on Mark's nose. Looking up, Elizabeth realized that her eyes were blurry. She was crying. She had done a lot of that over the past year. Elizabeth knew that it was no use trying to hold back the tears. So she let herself go, and began to sob.  
  
A single tear trickled down Susan's cheek as she reached over to hug Elizabeth. As Elizabeth sobbed into her shoulder, Susan's eyes began to well up more and more, until she was crying just as hard as Elizabeth was.  
  
"I miss him like crazy, Susan," Elizabeth choked out.  
  
"I know, Elizabeth. I miss him too."  
  
Elizabeth pulled away from her friend's shoulder. "I had thought that it would get easier with time. That some day the pain would fade away, and I could go back to living my life like I did before this all happened. But the pain never fades away. It is always there, nagging, wanting to be heard. I miss everything about him- the way he smelled, the way he would swear when he cut himself shaving, the way he always knew how to make me feel better after a bad day. Every day I am reminded of how much I miss him. And as much as I love him, I just want the pain to go away."  
  
Susan wiped her eyes. "I know. But it's missing him that keeps him with us, Elizabeth. The pain will never go away completely. You just have to learn to live with it. You can't go back to being who you were before you met Mark, before you fell in love with him and married him. None of us can. All we can do is try to remember the good times we had with him, and hope that those memories will carry us through the pain."  
  
Elizabeth sniffled. "Thanks for staying, Susan. I don't know what I'd do if I was alone tonight."  
  
Susan managed a weak smile. "I don't know what I'd be doing right now either." She turned the page of the album, and she knew that both she and Elizabeth would get through tonight. Together.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: Well, there it is. This fic is officially complete. I hope you all enjoyed reading it- I certainly enjoyed writing it. Anyway, I would appreciate any reviews. Thanks for reading! 


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